Figure Skating – Jump Air Position

  • Double and Triple Toe Loop Development – Part 3 (Debbie Warne-Jacobsen)

    National level coach Debbie Warne-Jacobsen continues a series of videos offering insights and exercises to improve toe loop technique for double and triple toe loop development. In Part 1 Debbie started with single toe drills with a guard in the axis hand, and in Part 2 the focus shifted to the double toe. In this video,… …Continue reading →

  • Jump Landings – Part 3 (Chris Conte)

    International coach and jump specialist Chris Conte continues a short series of videos on important concepts and drills for developing jump landings. In Part 1 Chris introduced important foundational ideas and talked about single jump landings, including free leg placement and alignment over the landing hip. In Part 2 he discussed landings for waltz jumps and… …Continue reading →

  • Double Axel – Part 2 (Jackie Brenner)

    National level coach Jackie Brenner continues sharing insights and drills for double axel development. In Part 1 she offered many general axel insights and focused on single axel attempts. In this video, she finishes adding thoughts about the single before focusing on the double. When analyzing a single axel for the double, Jackie says, “For the… …Continue reading →

  • Jump Landings – Part 2 (Chris Conte)

    International coach and jump specialist Chris Conte continues a short series of videos on important concepts and drills for developing jump landings. In Part 1 Chris introduced important foundational ideas and talked about single jump landings, including free leg placement and alignment over the landing hip. In this video, the focus shifts to landings for waltz… …Continue reading →

  • Double Axel – Part 1 (Jackie Brenner)

    National level coach Jackie Brenner shares insights and drills for double axel development. She begins by asking the skater to walk through a double axel. Notice that there is no ‘rotation’ in this walkthrough, as the skater instead focuses on specific positions and movements. To emphasize take-off edge pressure, Jackie has the skater “pulse” the edge… …Continue reading →

  • Building Axels – Part 4: Axel Walkthroughs (Nick Perna)

    International coach and jump specialist Nick Perna continues a seminar presentation on building axels. In Part 1 he began by describing and demonstrating aspects of good and bad waltz jumps and he began analyzing some waltz jump examples in the class. In Part 2 he continued analyzing waltz jumps, commenting on a variety of errors and… …Continue reading →

  • Building Axels – Part 3: New Axels (Nick Perna)

    International coach and jump specialist Nick Perna continues a seminar class on building axels. In Part 1 he began by describing and demonstrating aspects of good and bad waltz jumps and began analyzing some waltz jump examples in the class. In Part 2 he continued analyzing waltz jumps, commenting on a variety of errors and corrections.… …Continue reading →

  • Building Triple Salchow – Part 2 (Chris Conte)

    International coach and jump specialist Chris Conte continues a group lesson for skaters working on triple salchow. In Part 1 he introduced some concepts and drills and in this video the skaters try some “more than doubles.” Chris tells the skaters, “Take your double, bump it up a little higher, try to close the rotation, and… …Continue reading →

  • Cross Foot Drills and Spins (Nick Perna)

    International coach and jump specialist Nick Perna shares a crossfoot drill and insights for good crossfoot spins. This video is a continuation of a presentation Nick where Nick shows drills for helping skaters feel where their body is “on axis” when rotating in the air on jumps, although the information in this video can stand on… …Continue reading →

  • Jump Air Position Insights and Drills (Nick Perna)

    International coach and jump specialist Nick Perna explains and demonstrates a drill for helping skaters feel where their body is “on axis” when rotating in the air on a jump. He uses a hockey face-off spot on the ice (small circle) and has the skater wind up slightly with the arms and then release into a… …Continue reading →

  • Double Loop and Double Salchow Lesson (Jackie Brenner)

    National level coach Jackie Brenner continues a lesson with a skater who is moving from the Preliminary level all the way to Intermediate competition level. (See Part 1 and Part 2 of the lesson.) After the skater does a double loop, Jackie discusses the concept of jump skill performance level expectation at these different competitive levels.… …Continue reading →

  • Lutz Jump – Part 2: More Insights and Tips (Robert Tebby)

    World and Olympic coach Robert Tebby continues his presentation on the lutz. In Part 1 he shared many thoughts and some exercises for lutz development. He begins this video by describing an exercise he calls “jump the line” which consists of gliding backwards on two feet parallel to a line on the ice, then performing an… …Continue reading →

  • “Floating” the Jumps (Jackie Brenner)

    National level coach Jackie Brenner discusses the idea of “floating” jumps as part of the development process when adding another rotation to a jump (typically doubles to triples, and single to double axel). After introducing herself and her skater, Jackie clarifies the issue. She says, “What happens sometimes when we go from double to triple… …Continue reading →

  • Rocker Cross Stroke Concept for Double Salchow and Double Toe Loop (Nick Perna)

    International coach and jump specialist Nick Perna continues discussing his “rocker cross stroke” method of getting quickly into rotation on the weight transfer jumps, axel, salchow, and toe loop. In the previous video he introduced the concept using the axel, showing how the skater can walk-through the jump by simulating a rocker and a cross step… …Continue reading →

  • Rocker Cross Stroke Concept for Axel and Double Axel (Nick Perna)

    International coach and jump specialist Nick Perna shares a concept that addresses a very common problem for double axel and triple jumps. Skaters have a strong tendency in these jumps to try to spin through the take-off into the circle made by the entry and exit edges. As Nick explains, this kind of take-off then… …Continue reading →

  • Backspin Double Loop – Part 2 (Tom Zakrajsek)

    World and Olympic coach Tom Zakrajsek continues his presentation on “backspin double loop” jump exercises. In Part 1 he introduced the exercise and explained it in detail, and he also showed some advanced variations. In this video Tom shares two more variations of the exercise that are particularly appropriate in the developmental process. He begins… …Continue reading →

  • Double Toe Loop Lesson – Part 2 (Kori Ade)

    World and Olympic coach Kori Ade continues a double toe loop lesson at a camp. As noted in Part 1, this lesson started with a discussion of working on the triple toe, and although this skater isn’t really ready to work on the triple, Kori uses that as motivation to continue to improve the double.… …Continue reading →

  • Big Muscle Backspin – More (Tom Zakrajsek)

    In this short video, World and Olympic coach Tom Zakrajsek returns to his discussion of the “big muscle backspin” as a tool for improving jump air position. In a previous video, Tom introduced the concept and shared his ideas about how to make a basic backspin into a more useful jump training tool. In this… …Continue reading →

  • Double Toe Loop Lesson (Kori Ade)

    World and Olympic coach Kori Ade gives a skater a lesson at a camp. Although this lesson starts with discussion of triple toe loop, this is really an opportunity for Kori to address basic jumping issues with axels and double toe loops. After watch a double axel attempt and a double toe attempt, Kori explains… …Continue reading →

  • Axel Development – Part 2 (Robert Tebby)

    World and Olympic coach Robert Tebby continues his discussion of single axel development. Part 1 offered a ton of detail, from the overall process Robert uses to the specifics of that process. In this video, he begins by noting some common errors. He explains that because we’re asking skaters to create rotational energy (which Robert… …Continue reading →

  • Introduction to Beginner Axel – Part 3 (Nick Perna)

    International coach and jump specialist Nick Perna continues an axel development class for young skaters at a camp, introducing the early concepts as they relate to waltz jump. A significant percentage of this class is not really ready to work on the axel, but as Nick demonstrates it’s never too soon to teach important concepts… …Continue reading →

  • Triple Salchow Lesson – Part 2 (Robert Tebby)

    World and Olympic coach Robert Tebby continues a lesson on the triple salchow (see Part 1 here). For the first attempt in this video, Robert asks for just keeping the non-axis arm low on the entry as discussed in Part 1 to keep the upper body forward and pressing over the take-off leg. This low… …Continue reading →

  • Arms Up Over the Head for Jumps (Jeremy Allen)

    International coach and jump specialist Jeremy Allen teaches and demonstrates how to jump with the arms up over the head. This is a follow-up and clarification video to Jeremy’s very first video on iCoachSkating which you should also watch to see a skater demonstrating the technique. Jeremy teaches skaters to grab the axis wrist with… …Continue reading →

  • More Insights on Jump Landings (Robert Tebby)

    World and Olympic coach Robert Tebby continues his discussion of jump landings (see previous video here). Robert says this about landings, “We want to separate what’s technically correct and what’s going to help us actually land a jump, and then what actually looks good.” In terms of aesthetics of the landing position, he likes a… …Continue reading →

  • Jump Landings (Robert Tebby)

    World and Olympic coach Robert Tebby explains and demonstrates important fundamental concepts for jump landings. He begins by noting that our understanding of jump landings continues to evolve, which means our teaching methods also need to change and improve. As coaches we need to remain humble and open-minded and be willing to adapt. He then… …Continue reading →

  • Off-Ice Seminar Class – Part 6 Jump Landings (Chris Conte)

    International coach and jump specialist Chris Conte continues an off-ice jump class for skaters at a seminar. In Part 1 Chris taught some basic walking and skipping drills which served both as a warm-up and as an introduction to fundamental movements. In Part 2 Chris worked on the basic concepts of small stationary and non-rotating off-ice… …Continue reading →

  • Double Axel Development – Part 1 (Tom Zakrajsek)

    World and Olympic coach Tom Zakrajsek begins a series of videos discussing some of the drills and exercises he uses when developing a double or triple axel. There are a ton of insights about the axel (and double and triple) in these videos, and he guides us through the process of making the jump more… …Continue reading →

  • Insights About Cheated Jump Landings (Jeremy Allen)

    International coach and jump specialist Jeremy Allen discusses cheated jump landings, including causes and solutions as well as thoughts about the “benefits” of initially learning jumps with cheated landings. He begins with the attention grabbing statement, “Special news flash! Cheating is OK… Sometimes.” He goes on to explain that skaters learning a new multi-rotation jump… …Continue reading →

  • Loop Jump Insights (Doug Leigh)

    World and Olympic coach Doug Leigh shares thoughts and exercises about the loop jump. He begins by discussing jump landings in general, showing an exercise at the wall that simulates air position and checking the rotation at landing. He begins this by facing the wall and standing on the toe pick of the non-axis skate… …Continue reading →

  • Head Anchoring And Head Position in Jumps (Robert Tebby)

    World and Olympic coach Robert Tebby discusses the position and movement of the head in jumps and jump development. Robert says, “Everyone has come to the conclusion that keeping your head straight (on take-offs) is a good thing, and something that all of the high level skaters do.” He explains that your sense of balance… …Continue reading →

  • Off-Ice Seminar Class – Part 5 Jump Landings (Chris Conte)

    International coach and jump specialist Chris Conte continues an off-ice jump class for skaters at a seminar. In Part 1 Chris taught some basic walking and skipping drills which served both as a warm-up and as an introduction to fundamental movements. In Part 2 Chris worked on the basic concepts of small stationary and non-rotating off-ice… …Continue reading →

  • Head Anchoring for Jumps (Tom Zakrajsek)

    World and Olympic coach Tom Zakrajsek discusses the important of head anchoring on jumps, as well as a great way to describe it to skaters. He begins by saying, “If your head is not anchored over your jumping side it’s going to be really hard to straighten that leg on the take-off.” Tom’s favorite description… …Continue reading →

  • Axel Insights and Drills – Part 4 (Jeremy Allen)

    International coach and jump specialist Jeremy Allen continues a multi-part series on the axel, with an emphasis on the importance of edge pressure and how to generate it. In Part 1 he discussed the take-off and the need for edge pressure, and he showed a number of exercises to help a skater generate this edge… …Continue reading →

  • Relating Jump Take-Off, Air Position, and Landing Movements (Doug Leigh)

    World and Olympic coach Doug Leigh continues his discussion from the previous video covering insights of the seatbelt air position. He begins this video by analyzing a video of the take-off movements of a double axel of one of his skaters, showing how the hands and arms create repeatable and consistent movements and positions that… …Continue reading →

  • Off-Ice Seminar Class – Part 3 (Chris Conte)

    International coach and jump specialist Chris Conte continues an off-ice jump class for skaters at a seminar. In Part 1 Chris taught some basic walking and skipping drills which served both as a warm-up and as an introduction to fundamental movements. In Part 2 Chris worked on the basic concepts of small stationary and non-rotating off-ice… …Continue reading →

  • Cha Cha Cha Exercise for Double/Triple/Quad Loop (Tom Zakrajsek)

    World and Olympic coach Tom Zakrajsek shares an exercise he uses for developing the necessary tightness in the feet on double loop, triple loop, and even quad loop. Tom calls this exercise “cha cha cha” as this is a memorable name that also conveys the importance of rhythm and tempo within the exercise. Tom begins… …Continue reading →

  • Axel Insights and Drills – Part 3 (Jeremy Allen)

    International coach and jump specialist Jeremy Allen continues a multi-part series on the axel, with an emphasis on the importance of edge pressure and how to generate it. In Part 1 he discussed the take-off and the need for edge pressure, and he showed a number of exercises to help a skater generate this edge… …Continue reading →

  • Insights Regarding Seatbelt Air Position (Doug Leigh)

    World and Olympic coach Doug Leigh shares insights and benefits of using the “seatbelt” air position for jumping. He begins with a short discussion of philosophy on continuing education, with passion, details, finesse, and purpose. As an introduction to air position, Doug initially talks about how the air position flows into the landing, so the… …Continue reading →

  • Crossing the Feet on Double Toe Loop (Nick Perna)

    International coach and jump specialist Nick Perna gives a lesson on double toe loop. He begins by asking for a double toe, but the skater never crosses the feet and lands the jump on two feet facing forward. Nick is reasonably happy with the jump take-off, and has the skater do some walk-throughs to feel… …Continue reading →

  • Barrier Step Up Exercise – Part 2 (Tom Zakrajsek)

    World and Olympic coach Tom Zakrajsek continues his explanation of the “barrier step up exercise.” In Part 1 Tom taught the first phase of the exercise, and in this video he teaches the second phase which he calls the “merry-go-round.” After the skater can do the basic exercise taught in Part 1, the “merry-go-round” adds… …Continue reading →

  • Triple Salchow Lesson (Nick Perna)

    International coach and jump specialist Nick Perna gives a lesson on triple salchow. He begins with single salchow, single loop, single toe loop in combo, and then a double salchow, single loop, single toe in combo. After that Nick asks for a single salchow, double loop, single toe loop in combo, followed by a double… …Continue reading →

  • Barrier Step Up Exercise – Part 1 (Tom Zakrajsek)

    World and Olympic coach Tom Zakrajsek teaches what he calls the “barrier step up exercise” which is important for learning proper jump air position and landing movements. This kind of exercise is important because it helps skaters learn these positions and movements in an accurate way, without the risk/distraction of actually jumping. The “barrier step… …Continue reading →

  • Small Group Lesson – Triple Axels (Vincent Restencourt)

    Coach and former French competitive skater Vincent Restencourt gives a small “group” lesson to two male skaters who are both working on triple axel. In some parts of the world, this kind of group lesson is very common, while in other parts of the world it is essentially unheard of, especially at this skating level.… …Continue reading →

  • First Up, Second Up, Third Up (Tom Zakrajsek)

    World and Olympic coach Tom Zakrajsek explains what he means by the terms “first up,” “second up,” and “third up” as these terms continue to be used more and more commonly among coaches and skaters. Tom says, “When I’m coaching jumping I’m always queuing the skater by saying ‘up, up, up.’ I really feel there… …Continue reading →

  • Big Muscle Backspin (Tom Zakrajsek)

    World and Olympic coach Tom Zakrajsek discusses the importance of a “big muscle backspin” as a tool for improving jump air position. This is essentially a regular backspin with details that make it more valuable as a jump training tool. Tom explains, “The idea of the big muscle backspin is that skaters have to pull… …Continue reading →

  • Valuable Double Loop Drills (Debbie Warne-Jacobsen)

    National level coach Debbie Warne-Jacobsen shares two important exercises for developing the double loop. These exercises are also valuable for learning double loop double loop combinations. The first exercise is performed at the wall, starting facing the wall with b0th feet in the setup position (two outside edges) and then turning up a quarter turn… …Continue reading →

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